A King's Comrade eBook

“Ay,” he said; “I have helped to
burn a church or two in my time, and now I am sorry
therefor. I have heard good words in this place,
so that I think I know why you were ready to risk gold
to free a captive. Let me go with you again.”

“I will find some good priest who shall tell
you more and teach you,” said I.

But he shook his head.

“That is another matter,” he answered.
“Let be for a time. I am content to go
your way and see what it is; but no man, if he is
worth aught, will leave the gods of his fathers offhand,
not even for the faith which is good for you and for
Carl the king, and this king here who has death written
on his handsome face.”

“What mean you by that?” I asked, almost
angrily. “On the face of Ethelbert?”

“Ay,” he answered. “Cannot
you see it?”

“Seldom have I seen a stronger or more healthy
man! This is sheer foolishness.”

“I do not speak of health,” he answered.
“Eh, well, we of the old race have the second
sight now and then. On my word, I wish I had
it not. Pay no heed to me an you will; it is best
not.”

Then he laughed, because I was almost angered with
him, and said that maybe fasting with the slaver had
made his mind full of forebodings.

“There was a boding in it at one time that the
slaver was nigh his death, if so be that I got loose,”
he said. “That ended in a whipping for
him. But I would that this Ethelbert had not that
thin red line round his neck. It sets strange
thoughts in one’s head.”

I told him to hold his peace, and he did so.
But somewhat that night made me look to see what he
meant. The king had no line such as he spoke
of on his sunburned throat, so far as I could see.

CHAPTER V. HOW WILFRID MET THE FLINT FOLK, AND OTHERS.

It must not be supposed that the gifts of Carl the
Great were given, and his greetings spoken, offhand,
as it were, by us. There must needs be a gathering
of the Witan of the East Anglians, that all might
be done with full honour both to Carl and his embassy.
I must say that it somewhat irked me to be treated
with much ceremony, as a Frank and paladin of the
great king, instead of being hailed in all good fellowship
as a thane of England, who was glad to get home again.
However, there was no help for it till our errand
was done; for it was out of his goodness that Carl
had given me a place among his messengers, saying
that they must have some one of their number who could
act as interpreter, and I would not be ungrateful
even in seeming.

So I had no chance yet of private speech with Ethelbert,
when I might give the message from Ecgbert; which
was indeed the main reason of my coming here instead
of going straight home. That chance would best
be sought when the state business was done; for since
no man in all England rightly knew where Ecgbert was
at this time, and he had no mind that many should,
my business would wait well enough. So I bent
myself to enjoy the feasting and the hunting parties
the court made for us all; and pleasant it was, in
all truth. And every day fresh companies of the
great folk of the land came in, till the town was
full of thanes and ladies and their trains, gathered
to see and hear what had come from beyond the seas.